Monday, September 28, 2009

1. Child, you are loved. When you teach your child he is loved, you show it, and he will know.

2. Child, God is God. Values are indispensable in this world, and an understanding of Who God is will carry a person further than most anything, including money and fame.

3. Child, you have choices. None of us are without some sort of choice in our lives, and giving our child the knowledge that he will be making decisions in life that can and will effect him for the rest of his life and eternity will lay upon him the needed responsibility and duty to make wise decisions.

Thanks for stopping by. I'm a homeschool mom with two teens who prayerfully seeks to share these with them. May you be blessed with your child...
AND FOR FUN~
1. Your Mama 'ain't' a maid!
2. Zip your jeans before they are washed!
3. Soap and water are cheap!
blessings,

Teaching high school does NOT need to be intimidating! You can feel confident knowing you are doing everything right! Terri Johnson, Knowledge Quest/Bramley Books has an eCourse designed to give you all the skills to get through these difficult years! I have had a sneak peak with a five dayFREEBIE:5 Keys to Successfully Homeschooling Your Teen Through High School
and it's got loads on insight and information! Don't be left out wondering when it comes to homeschooling THROUGH high school~

Our children are high school now~yeah, at first it was a bit daunting to think that we really don't have much longer with them and that higher education is just around the bend...but Terri offers some awesome advice along with others who have been there! Go check out the eCourse! I am soo looking forward to graduation for our little people...hey, I can STILL call them "little", right?? Won't they always be my babies?

Go check out the high school resources on the left sidebar to help you on your way!
blessings,

Friday, September 25, 2009

The Smithsonian Magazine is partnering with museums all over the nation for a free visit TODAY for one household member and a guest with a pass you can download from their website.
There is a way on the Smithsonian site to search your state:

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Copy work is a wonderful tool to teach much about language arts. I have used this method, and IT WORKS! I actually did not use copy work pages such as these, but used initially, the K three lined paper and moved to wide rule notebook paper. I wrote every other line for my son to copy. The advantage of using ordinary paper over the "pretty" notebooking/copywork pages is that it makes the practice more like the real world of writing, and I could easily place his work in a notebook, or at one point I even used a regular composition style notebook. Initially I gave my young son one sentence to copy when he was kindergarten age. As he progressed, I increased the sentences to three, then five, and finally moved up to a full page of content on various subjects relating to the things we were studying, good study habits, or Scripture. I focused on mastery not volume. I did only one nice long sentence adding words that first year. The sentences increased incrementally in difficulty so that the complexity of the sentences increased over time. This gave him the example to copy above his writing line on his level, so that he could carefully reproduce just what I had done. I made sure I read with him the sentences, and we discussed the meaning and its applications. This process of teaching my son sure made my handwriting nicer as I wanted to be a good example! This method has really paid off in many skills for my son!

Here are free copywork resources from some great websites where you can print out sheets if this is the way you want to go:

Monday, September 21, 2009

Do you ever wonder if there is someone who is concerned with the legal rights to home educate your children and willing to protect you from those who would want to remove those rights? The Christian Law Association has been defending Christian liberty since 1969 and has launched its new ministry, Homeschool Legal Advantage. I am thrilled to introduce this ministry to you as you may recognize the name Attorney David Gibbs. He has been associated with quite a few high profile cases where Christian liberty was at stake. If you are homeschooling, you will want to consider this ministry for your right arm legal protection as they are well acquainted with so much that has gone on the last forty years!

Now I have some wonderful new for you! You can get your first year FREE by subscribing to Home School Enrichment Magazine. These fine folks have partnered to bring a year's subscription to their magazine until TONIGHT 9:00PM CST for $14.57 which is a savings from the regualar $21.97 per year cost AND you get Homeschool Legal AdvantageFREE!

Is this too good to be true?No!

I have researched HLA and find them to be good solid and ready to stand with homeschoolers and Christians concerning Christian liberty. Don't let this get by you~if you miss tonight's deadline, then you can still get Homeschool Legal AdvantageFREE but the sales price ends and then you pay the low price of $21.97.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Thanks Michelle for sharing with me the Dugger family's visit. I am amazed at those without the faith to believe, but the Bible does say that without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen. . .For by faith, Abraham... Faith is crucial in beliefs about origins.

Here's the video:

If you haven't seen Ken Ham's Creation Museum, get to Northern KY to see it!
Bless you as you teach Truth to your children concerning origins and God.

This is a savings of $86.40 which is HUGE considering you get a PRINT copy of this beautiful full color homeschooling magazine AND the legal representation we all might need! Go check out Homeschool Legal Advantage to see the FREEBIES they offer new members~oh my goodness~this is so unbelievable AND you won't be sorry!

This offer ends Monday, September 21, 2009 9:00PM CST so I'm heading over TODAY! ALL THIS for $14.57 AMAZING! Pass the word!!
WooHoo!

I love freebies, but the constant barrage of ads drives me crazy! I am not so dumb as to not view most everything that comes across my screen, but the constant marketing of products by some FREEBIE vendors is just a good ole fashioned ploy~but hey...who can blame a gal for wanting something for nothing or a vendor peddling wares, even if veiled in FREEness? Well, just consider it "paying" when you read the advertisements, and that IF you should purchase, you have solidified the FREEBIE vendor's advertising strategy in gaining more customers! I have on occasion purchased from an ad attached in something else, like a newsletter or blog, but not often. If I do, you can bet it's a bonafied DEAL, and I've checked ALL my sources for the best price possible...

If you are ad-ed-out, and love FREEBIES, visit the Erskine Family of KY. They offer Homeschool Freebie of the Day and Homeschool Resource of the Day, along with Homeschool Radio Shows. http://www.homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/
which are absolutely awesome! They even offer a FREE audio download per week of wonderful old timey radio show dramas usually about a famous person or event~wonderful stuff!!http://www.homeschoolradioshows.com/
Now you will see that they have been offering a huge resource for one price kind of deal for a period of time and will be changing formats to this next year, so this huge deal will be gone...but go check this part out for yourself~I like the weekly radio FREEBIE they offer~you can sign up on the page to see if your kids would even enjoy an audio learning experience. Often there are guides too in PDF download in the FREEBIE~these are absolutely free; I love it!!

I enjoy sharing without the hype~so here's a resource you can get without the sell~
blessings

Monday, September 14, 2009

This title could be deceiving! NO I'm not discussing family life, I know some of us have "drama" in our lives to last our life times, but I am actually talking about theater in the life of a homeschooler!

Our children's personalities are God given and developed by everyone they encounter. Parents have the major roles to play out, but everyone leaves something for everyone in this area...So some are naturally "out there" with gregorious laughter and not minding to be in the spotlight, while others snuggle shyly into our skirts or jeans leg as a new opportunity to present themselves is more than they want to encounter. . .

I have one of each. Girl Thing One has danced her way to gospel music in church since she was old enough to walk. When my children were preschoolers, my youngest son would set at our piano and finger the keys (any wonder he has natural gift for it??) and say to his sister, "Dance__! Dance!" And she did right along to his rhythms. . .on her toes, moving her feet as fast as she could with the biggest smile on her face. He was grinning too~while he didn't want the spotlight, she did and his ability to "play" (this was light banging on the keys, really..." brought each of them joy.

Today as teenagers who are both musicicans, she is singing a hymn in Japanese, and he is playing it on his trumpet. Again the stage is set for one to take a center spot and the other to accompany. But not only has this continued in music, Girl Thing One is not in a homeschool drama club, well they both are~but she tried out for a part and got it, while he's happy working on props and costuming! Differences gallore for sure, but both active in their God given ways!

I want to encourage you to take your littles or bigs into areas that will bring confidence to them as they are exposed to this world we live in.

It was interesting that yesterday in church because my daughter is reserved and very quiet most of the time that my Sunday School class was surprised to know that she is in a theatre production, and that this is her fifth or sixth. She doesn't dance the church aisles anymore! But she does still enjoy the theature and performing~now a homeschool drama group.

Please consider drama activities for your children. The benefits can be huge in terms of their lives. . .will Boy Thing One continue to be a support and faithful back up to those who are more outgoing? But without opportunities, he may never take that center stage. . .and will Girl Thing One continue to work the parts? Only the Lord knows the future of our children, but opportunities such as drama and other arts such as music are pieces in the building of positive life experiences.

If you don't have a drama group in your area, what about your co-op group? Can you along with them start one? Try your church too. Often there are many opportunities for children in the form of Children's Choirs, Drama Teams, and more! I learned to sing in our church choir. I've had about 2 years of piano most of which was as a seven year old, but I can sing and even simply play melody on the piano enough to get the notes for singing! Look around~there are opportunities~and often where was seek, we will find...but if not, let's consider starting!
BTW~the picture is an actual production with my daughter!
blessings,

Friday, September 11, 2009

It's so sweet to snuggle a baby. Their smell and feel is unlike any other, and for mother this is a special time in her life and her baby's life. The effects of motherhood have been tremendous on every facet of society since time began. It's really true that the hand that rocks the cradle rocks the world. Motherhood is a sacred right and obligation for women who bear children. It's unique and unlike any relationship with any other. Mother and child is a bond that is crucial for healthy development.

I am all over Facebook. I know this is of no consequence to many, but as I have read and commented, I have noticed beginning in the recent weeks a disturbing ad, "Obama wants women to return to college. You can get your degree..." Don't get me wrong, I am not against education for women. I BELIEVE in it! But I am not thrilled with the wholesale advertisement to bring women in general out of their homes with their little ones or big ones to gain an education that could remove mothers from the place of honor, the home with their children~our children. I realize I am speaking contrary to the popular practices of our day. I feel it is not in our national best interest or the interest of our children to encourage dissatisfaction for the women who seek to raise their children at home.

Mothering is so important to not just our children, but to our society and nation. Become educated! No problem, but not at the expense of our children! Rock your cradle, and remember you are 'rocking' the world because only God knows WHO our children will be as they grow and mature to serve, and it all began in mother's arms in mother's home. Rock on!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

I remember it. Don't you? If you were near a television at that precise hour, then you along with many of us watched in horror as some of the most vicious attacks on our nation unfolded before our eyes...I was home with my children. Our daughter the had been in public kindergarten , and this day as I sat dismayed at what I was seeing, I offered up a prayer of thanksgiving in knowing both my children were home with us, and we were not in fear as many parents who were so concerned that they ran to the schools to get their children...homeschooling took on a new meaning for me. It was a new commitment in our lives, our second year!

Love of God and country has been a huge theme in our schooling. We believe in patriotism! We believe is a just, holy and righteous God! And we believe in our duty to serve both!! In home education is our mechanism for gaining and performing both~

A few years ago, I accidently found the film, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXnA9F9/11 The Falling Man. This is a documentary about one of the photographs of a man who like many that day became known as a "jumper," and the attempts by some to identify him, put a dignity to his situation and bring closure by by finding his family and for them closure and dignity. THIS IS NOT for the faint or weak as this film shows many disturbing images of the horror of WHAT those no good devils did to our nation, our people and each and every bit of our way of life.

I am chosing to share such with you because it is my belief that to gloss over it's shock, tragedy, and horror does NOT serve us today, but will in the long run harm us in a way that can effect generations to come! Lest We Forget...we may be doomed to repeat the past! It's my prayer that God gives us all the courage, strength and integrity to stand against tyranny in whatever form we find it, to defend and protect our United States Constitution and to BOLDLY say:God Bless America! Land of the Free and the Brave!

It will take you over an hour to watch. I could have put up a "nice" pic, but in our nation today, we all need to be reminded...Lest We Forget...

http://attacked911.tripod.com/ This was put up by Nichole and it's a tribute that will either make you mad or resolved to DO something in the name of freedom. Let's be patriots and stand strong for our nation!

Our cat, Tiger was one of the coolest cats we've ever had. . . I'm a cat-lover! Seems like I've always had one, and they've stayed with me most of my life. About nine years ago, we visited friends and this friendly orange and white~American longhair house cat came into my husband's chest and loved him...made peace with the alpha male in our home~Daddy who just couldn't at that point say NO to two begging children. . .hence why he's Thomas Tiger!

He was unusual in that he learned to play chase with our son. Around and back and forth, Tiger would run after our boy and in return our rambuctious child would run with him back. Eventually our son tired of the game, but Tiger was relentless...HE played so hard...and another favorite was chasing the laser light beam up the wall until he was purely breathless. Panting, and lying exhausted, if we continued to shine the light, his eyes would follow...OK...when this happened, it was game over! But if he heard the jingle of keys in my husband's pocket, he came running for on the ring was that little fun light!

Tiger was emensely loyal to my daughter. He really was HER cat while we all claimed him...HE REALLY CLAIMED HER...it was her bed mostly he slept on...it was she who he followed around like a puppy, and if she left him to go outside or upstairs behind, he would cry until one of us answered him and down or around he came...he loved his girl and his people...

He was a social cat and even in sickness stayed with us as much as he was able. . .content to lay on the rug or in our son's comfy chair...He always was near and snuggly...

He was a huge cat of 16 lbs and had an air of dignity that cats generally have, but our daughter said, "he's manly, a manly cat" placing on him a black patent leather collar. . . dare I say he was in style too? lol! His coat was long, and the colors bright...his orange fur the color of our children's hair. . .he was gorgeous with golden yellow eyes that were huge. We learned to brush his fur and he enjoyed that so much. He was simply beautiful.

Tiger, as must so many pets has left us to be removed from the suffering of this life. But we celebrate as it may seem silly to some, his time with us! Gone too soon, really is the truth. . .I had expected him to see our children grow up and become as had Mr. Henry, a grumpy old man lol! But as with the will of God and as nature takes hold, some things are not as we desire.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

After a long struggle or process or effort, VICTORY~JOY~SATISFACTION~ACHIEVEMENT~RESULTScan be so fulfilling! Without the work though, the sweetness of the end result is less, for if we are just handed the victory, joy, satisfaction, achievement or results then somehow it is not as savory, not as valuable, not as appreciated.

Have you ever struggled or longed and worked, set a goal to meet then step by step met that goal? In the words of an old comedic actor, "How sweet it is!" Yes, we feel that in our accomplishment and pursuit pushes the end result to a higher estimated value for we KNOW what it took to achieve and gain...

Getting started this year, gearing up, roaring up our engines for another year of pursuit, effort, struggle, process, steps, work we can keep our eye on the end result knowing that in a not too distant future with the sweet savor of victory, our child who we have meticulously planned their education, prayed for without reserve, loved unconditionally and cheered onward will find for themselves the life that God has for them as well developed, seasoned, educated citizens who can do what other generations of great worth have done~have achieved~have become!

I encourage you, as these first few weeks get into gear to keep your eye on the end of the days when it's a final curtain call, "this is it" day,their graduation from your homeschooling efforts, to know that every little itty bitty effort will bring fruit for a brighter world and God's glory! Homeschooling in its very nature is a process, and we can be confident that our efforts will bring what is sown, and God can be praised because joy does come in the morning~and how sweet the savoring after the process for both we parents and our precious children!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

"I don't learn that way," my daughter told me when we were discussing a method of learning just the other day...actually over this same method, she has said this before, but this time I had an answer for her. An answer that I want to share with you about learning styles, whether it's your child's strength or weakness.

We all have learning styles. And actually we all learn at varied rates within each of the styles: auditory, visual, tactile or kinesthetic. Just a brief definition of each is that auditory is listening, visual is seeing, tactile is touching and kinesthetic is doing so that we are all on the same page here...and what my child was telling me is what is true for everyone. There are ways we learn better than others, but of course if you are deaf or blind then you wouldn't learn by hearing or seeing...but the other learning styles would be increased by heightened sensory receptors. Ever realize that many piano tuners have vision impairments? I've known two wonderful such people, and their weakness in one sensory area led to strengths in another! So with our typically developing children, there are bound to be strengths and weaknesses in their learning styles.

Strengths and weaknesses need not be a boundry for learning in the lesser learning area. This is an opportunity to build skills. With my daughter my answer was this, "yes, I know it's a weakened area, but we are going to build upon it and exercise it so you will have strength in that area." This was specifically the auditory learning style and the actual skill was note taking. I further explained that she would need this skill in college and would not be able to tell the professor that because she didn't learn this way, to please just give her the notes from which the lecture was drawn...I could imagine just how well this might go over~not! So with this said, we are skill building...the idea of learning styles sis not to focus on the strength necessarily in all of a child's learning, but to built upon them to strengthen the weakened areas to bring those up to speed.

If you have an active hands on child, of course let them hop and skip and sing to learn...but also expect some and build gradually the practice of listening with auditory and visual learning~these areas must be exercised. A child must learn to use all styles to be highly successful educationally. Information is taught in so many different ways, and to be able to fully engage that information is very beneficial.

Just remember to build on the strengths by working some of the weakened areas so that skills are increased.

Today we are looking at homeschooling from an older age, we are now 8th and 9th graders, but way back when, in the early days when some of the conventional methods we tried, like workbooks and text books were not working, I found singing and physical activities~kinesthetic methods of learning to be very useful! VERY! Young children generally like to sing and dance! They are you know are much more active and hands on than some when they get older, while this learning style can remain, sometimes it will also "evolve" into visual and still auditory, but in different ways without a true need to move and sing...but for the littles orthose who learn this way best~Sing to Learnhttp://singnlearn.org/ is a resource site with LOADS of auditory singing learning materials...I saw Sing Spell Read and Write by Sue Dickson who we used with our struggling reader when he was second grade. It was fun, and most importantly it gave him a sense of accomplishment: It has a RACE TRACK board with vinyl magnetic cars that move around the track as each level is accomplished. It's colorful, durable, and we put it on the side of our fridge so my son could track his progress. There are learning games to accompany a reader, and writing phonics text which will focus on sounds, blends, diphthongs, and more...there is a spelling list and even songs to teach all of this...I adored it~and it WORKED! Another product I see they carry is called Skip Count Kid's Bible Heroes which was hugely successful in teaching the multiplication tables to my children with really cute songs~Bible based! There's a song about Noah and the ark with the animals coming on the ark by two's...we loved this one too! Go check out this website~you can listen to samples and order a catalog...the listening samples is HUGELY HELPFUL~

I found this so helpful when teaching my children in the early years and believe that these were very helpful in the foundations to learning that my children now possess!

Unsolicited, as most of my sharing is~It's purely for your benefit~I hope this helps!blessings,

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

The front runners of homeschooling way back, when homeschooling wasn't legal or cool, the publishers of Home School Digest continue to support home education with inspiration and integrity. I had a lovely conversation with daughter, Sony who has said I can offer to you a FREE sample issue here at Tell'n It! I am truly excited to find another wonderful magazine resource for our family and to share it with you. THANKS Sony and Home School Digest!!

Sony shared with me that she is a homeschool graduate. WHAT encouragement to know more graduates, finding them working and serving all around me! Often when the days are long and weary, I wonder if we will make it to graduation~but then I chance~OK...I don't believe in chance...but the Lord sends upon my path a wonderful homeschooled graduate so that my doubting heart finds encouragement! She shared a neat resource for homeschool graduates that is one she has participated, and I went to the link to check it out: http://www.homeschoolalumni.org/ I went to the alumni page which shows a map of the locations of many grads~AND they are all over North America! Now I know some graduates who are not plotted, as I know a few locations where there is not "link" but that's a bunch of graduates I saw on that map!! I forwarded this to my high schoolers so they can be encouraged towards their futures! THANKS again Sony!!

Put in the code: GLEAN to recieve your FREEBIE Magazine! The promo code is linked to a fundraiser for Gleaning the Harvesthttp://gleaningtheharvest.com/?p=731 , which is a ministry designed to help homeschooling windows and distressed single parents. Home School Digest is helping by giving to give the organization, Gleaning the Harvest for each Home School Digest requested, $1 towards advertising costs in the magazine for the ministry. This is a huge generous gift from Home School Digest in not only FREE sample magazines~@ $5 each, but also their advertising space for this ministry.

When cruising the magazine site, I also noticed a few other wonderful things about this publication. They are running a two-fer special. Their annual subscription rate is $20 per year for the quarterly publication, and you can share the magazine with someone to bless them without an additional charge! WHOOHOO! Christmas is coming~The school year is beginning~all families NEED encouragement in the training of our children in the Lord! THIS IS HUGE~REALLY HUGE and so very very generous! Another completely humble and loving thing I saw that amazed me was the offer for families who through financial hardship who can not pay the subscription rate ($20 per year or $5 per issue) the offer to help with a subscription or WHATEVER they can afford. What a generous giving back and helping of those who may have a need. I visited with Sony, and if she's any indication of the sweet hearted spirit in this family, I can praise the Lord for having found Home School Digest!

Why don't you head over there http://www.homeschooldigest.com/ and get acquainted with their ministry yourself. They have other publications as well that I need to check out too~

What a wonderful opportunity to be encouraged and uplifed in the Lord as we homeschool our children in His ways through Home School Digest~AND THANKS Sony! So nice to meet you!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

I am loving FREE~and Thanks Maria Miller of Math Mammoth for your newsletter full of reviews that you have done that shared this neat site. If you don't know Math Mammoth, it's a inexpensive and comprehensive math curriculum for all ages and math subjects supported with a math teacher's experiences~she has youtube demos you can watch~ I reviewed Math Mammoth last year as part of The Old Schoolhouse Crew viral marketing campaign, and you can read my review: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SisterTipster/637653/ Also you can sign up for Maria Miller's math enewsletters~they are very helpful!! She IS GREAT!

Check out these FREE math games which a categorized by grade or age and then also separately skills: http://www.iplaymathgames.com/ They are printable! THIS is really exciting for me...Sometimes we need a little "extra" to get the points across in an area...this is HUGE! Go check it out!!

I am hoping you are having a wonderful year either in the classroom now or still getting ready! Today is day ONE for us~whoohoo!!

MO Ways to share and stay up with SisterT!

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Claimer or Disclaimer~You Decide!

I don't know if this is a claimer or disclaimer, but if I understand the announcement from the FTC where blogging is concerned, I need to say a few things about all the things I talk about on my blog. First I want you to know that I like what is here. I either have done research or have personally tried out the website, idea or product I am talking about. Sometimes I get either the product or in some cases, I am an affiliate meaning if you were to purchase by clicking on a link from my site, I receive a monetary compensation. In the past, I was only a reviewer and received products for my opinions on it, but often I would also find things that I had not received and passed along! So ALL my opinions are not compensated, nor are they going to be~but you can rest assured, if I don't like it~it's not getting on my blog! This is my promise to you! SisterTipster 10-06-09